In various mythologies, there is a recurring theme of the main hero being raised in the wild apart from civilization. Two particular heroes are Jason of the Greek Argonautica and Sigurd of the Norse Völsunga Saga, though others abound in Western myth and legend. Why would the creators of these ancient tales take such care … Continue reading Raised in the Wild
Category: Story
Courage in Spite of Ignorance
As far as Middle-earth and our world are concerned, Hobbits are uneducated. They are the personification of country-bumpkins, with little or no knowledge of math and science (outside of what is required for farming and marketing), literature (save their own tales and ditties), or history. Yet in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the … Continue reading Courage in Spite of Ignorance
Lake-town & Narrowhaven: Monetary Gain and Unbelief
In some ways, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien differ greatly in their approach to stories. However, in many other aspects the two share very similar ideas. One example is in their depictions of the towns of Narrowhaven in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Lake-town in The Hobbit. The leaders of both towns are … Continue reading Lake-town & Narrowhaven: Monetary Gain and Unbelief
Finn MacCumhal as the Best of Men
Although I have read but one translation of Irish mythology, it was lengthy and complete and gave me a decent picture of the scope of Irish myth. I am not an expert in this realm in the slightest, but I am a ponderer, which counts for something---especially when that pondering mind has been marinated in … Continue reading Finn MacCumhal as the Best of Men
The Wearing of Time on Mortal-Immortal Relationship
Sometimes, in reading a work of literature, I encounter a snippet of wording which illuminates a previously unnoticed pattern in another work. This was the case with a particular reference in W.B. Yeats’ preface to Lady Gregory’s translation of the Finn Cycle to the degradation of the mortal-immortal relationship over the course of Irish mythology. … Continue reading The Wearing of Time on Mortal-Immortal Relationship
A Particle of Truth Spoken by Lord Henry Wotton
Lord Henry Wotton is one of the chief characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. He is a young aristocrat who seeks to bring himself attention by an apparent careless attitude and wit. His flippant tongue drips with hedonic philosophy which he dolls out for the purpose of sensation alone. However, amongst … Continue reading A Particle of Truth Spoken by Lord Henry Wotton
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 4: The Return of the King (Raw Reflections)
It appears that The Return of the King is the hardest book in the trilogy for me to put down or, more accurately, the hardest for me to resist picking up. This may be because of the many day-spring moments in The Return of the King: flashes of incredible beauty...
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 3: The Two Towers (Raw Reflections)
Do you remember your first reading of The Lord of the Rings? What was your reaction when you discovered Gandalf was not dead, as you and the members of the Company believed, but fully alive? ...
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 2: The Fellowship of the Ring (Raw Reflections)
The book begins in Hobbiton with much the same lively writing style found in The Hobbit. You can tell that neither Tolkien nor the Hobbits realise the dark roads they will travel in this sequel...
Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 1: The Hobbit (Raw Reflections)
Hello, my friends, This fall I have been re-treading the paths of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. My brother is taking a Socratic discussion1 course on these works and I leapt at the opportunity to reread them. As I finish each book, I will share with you the thoughts that come to … Continue reading Rereading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, Part 1: The Hobbit (Raw Reflections)
